As the sun set on August 26, 1814, a weary James Madison rode into the town of Brookeville, Maryland.
The President of the United States had been on the move for nearly
three days since he left Washington ahead of the British troops
marching to capture the city.

In
Brookeville, the
President
found a small but prosperous industrial town overflowing with other
refugees from Washington. After a night spent at the home of leading
residents Caleb and Henrietta Bentley, Madison and his attendants
returned to Washington the next morning. His stay made the town "U.S.
Capital for a Day," a title the town still proudly claims today.

Brookeville 1814explores
the people and community that welcomed the
President and the
town's place in American history.